As a REALTOR®
with
Royal Shell Real Estate, Sally is your direct link to the largest group of
buyers, sellers, and renters on Sanibel & Captiva.

Whether you're
seeking to buy or
sell a rental investment, or a first or second home
on Sanibel or Captiva let
me put my expertise as a
"Sanibel & Captiva Islands
Specialist" and the unique
backing of Royal Shell Real Estate Inc. to work for you. For fifteen years
Royal Shell Vacations
earned an exceptional reputation on
Sanibel & Captiva by offering vacation rentals both
on & off the beaches of Sanibel & Captiva Islands.
During that that time we
serviced over 80,000 guests per year, and as a result achieved the customer base required
to be successful in real
estate sales. Our real estate sales philosophy is to provide a high level of
integrity, ethics, quality and excellence. Our sales slogan "The Treatment you Expect, The Treatment You Deserve" describes our comfortable approach to selling and
buying property which is backed by our unmatched comprehensive
experience in all aspects of real estate on Sanibel & Captiva.
Over the years Royal Shell has assisted hundreds of guests to
become island
homeowners, so you know you will be in good hands with Sally
& Royal Shell Real Estate.

Posting your
property in the MLS which immediately makes it accessible to
other realtors and also "www.Realtor.com"

In addition, your listing will be
featured on the Royal Shell websites,
www.RoyalShellSales.comand
www.Royalshell.com which
are
consistently ranked on the first page of Google, MSN and
other major search engines, due to the efforts of our
aggressive marketing department.

We will hold a realtors “open house” so that
the other agents on the islands can familiarize themselves
with your property.

Listing
information placed in all Royal Shell Vacations rental
properties (over 400 properties located on both
islands)

Information
packets placed in the lobby areas of our Sanibel and Captiva
rental offices, and other island locations.

Advertising
through our membership of the Sanibel Captiva Chamber of
Commerce.

Just listed postcards will be mailed to our
extensive list of buyer/investors.

Local TV ad campaigns.

Full color flyers and a CD Rom consisting of
photos and graphics will be distributed with listing
information to all other agents.

Following you
will find a few simple suggestions to help your property sell
quickly:

A house that "sparkles" on
the surface will sell faster than its shabby neighbor, even though both
are structurally well-maintained.

From experience, REALTORS® also know that
a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and
for a higher price.
Additionally, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for
home because if what they can see is maintained, what they can't
see has probably also been maintained. In readying your house for sale,
consider:

how much
should you spend

exterior and
curb appeal

preparing the
interior

How much should
you spend
In preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as
possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, but they aren't
likely to give you enough extra money to pay for it. There is a big
difference between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and
"touch-ups" to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a
fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive
and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen. Sally Davies is
familiar with buyers' expectations on the islands and can
advise you specifically on what improvements need to be made. Don't
hesitate to ask for advice.

Twelve ways to Maximize
exterior and curb appeal
Before putting your house on the market, take as much time as necessary
(and as little money as possible) to maximize its exterior and
interior appeal. Tips to enhance your home’s exterior and curb appeal:

Keep the lawn
edged, cut and watered regularly.

Trim hedges,
weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly.

Check the
foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and
crumbling.

Inspect doors
and windows for peeling paint.

Clean and
align gutters.

Inspect and
clean the chimney.

Repair and
replace loose or damaged roof shingles.

Repair and
repaint loose siding and caulking.

During spring
and summer months consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in
pots, near your front entrance.

Re-seal an
asphalt driveway.

Keep your
garage door closed.

Store RVs or
old and beaten up cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.

Giving every
room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all
clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger
and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms have actually
rented storage garages and moved half their furniture out,
creating a sleeker, more spacious look. Hiring
a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the
house is on the market.
This may be a good investment for owners who are busy elsewhere.

Removing the
less frequently used, even daily used items from kitchen counters,
closets, and attics, making these areas much more inviting.
Since you're anticipating a move anyhow, holding a garage sale at
this point is a great idea.

If necessary, repainting dingy, soiled or
strongly colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as
off-white or beige. The same
neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.

Checking for
cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.

Replacing
broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork.
Inspecting and repairing the plumbing, heating , cooling,
and alarm systems.

Repairing
dripping faucets and showerheads. Buying showy new towels for the
bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective
buyers are on the way.

Sprucing up a
kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet
knobs, new curtains, or a coat of paint.

Fix It or Replace It?The May 2007 issue of Consumer Reports
offers consumers a timeline to determine when it’s time
to say goodbye to old appliances that aren’t operating
properly. The magazine took into account age, typical
repair and replacement costs, and improvements that have
been made in newer models.

The following list shows the
age when it’s more sensible to replace an appliance
rather than fix it: